The Role of International Trade in the Food Chain

Agricultural imports join the food chain at different stages, depending on the form in which they enter the country. Britain has traditionally relied upon imports of agricultural products and other raw materials and later in this chapter we use an input-output table to investigate at what stages of the food chain agricultural imports arrive. Agricultural exports have been increasing and the input-output table also helps to identify at what stages these leave the food chain. Before we examine the position in the UK, we consider some general aspects of international trade in agricultural products.